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Re: Bees Polishing Hive Frount

I know the books call it the washboard dance, but even the experts can't say for sure what its all about, there are a few guesses though. I seem to see it in advance of a hive preparing to swarm, and also they will do it when there is not much yielding in the fields either because of a slowing honey flow, or bad weather that keeps them from flying much. Those are my observations, would be interesting hear others comments on it. John

Re: Bees Polishing Hive Frount

Cool...washboarding behavior in bees.
Mine all do it, as soon as the flow slows down, and all that brood that emerges, sort of gets "bored" in the hive. The more populous the hive, the more bees will be on the front of the hive doing this washboarding thing. I would also think, that by being outside of the hive, they play into thermo regulating the hive. Love to watch them.

Re: Bees Polishing Hive Frount

According to The Encyclopedia of Beekeeping this behavior occurs on the inside of the hive also. Even though thge reason why is unknown it may be a type of cleaning behavior done by young bees. The description is of as many as 100 bees lined up on the front of a hive, heads oriented downward, second and third pairs of legs firmly planted, the front legs "stepping" forwards and back, and their mandibles sliding over the surface.

Yup, "Line Dancing". And most of the bee experts only recognize two Bee Dances. HA!

Re: Bees Polishing Hive Frount

I do know that especially this year I have noticed them doing it on my strongest hives only, so it very well could be that there are lots of young bees with nothing to do considering the lousy weather we have been having during the main flow. Also, these same hives are the only ones that have constructed some queen cells and tried to swarm on me. John

Re: Bees Polishing Hive Frount

Hyperactive Obsessive Compulsive Bees, ha ya

there are lots of bees in this hive and the flow is just starting. I dont see this very often but I do see it from time to time. My first reaction is of a hygienic hive, but then I have never heard of this as being a marker for that trait

Re: Bees Polishing Hive Frount

I have one hive doing this as well. Many of my hives are 'washboarding' the landing boards but only this one that covers the entire front with an eye catching, undulating rhythmic motion across the entire face of the hive.
We are at the beginning of our summer dearth.

Dan www.boogerhillbee.com
Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards

Re: Bees Polishing Hive Frount

That's a ton of bees wash boarding. I had 150-200 bees doing the same earlier this year during the first hot week. After I pulled the entrance reducer and the sticky board out (mite check), they stopped. I'm not sure if there was any relation, but it makes me wonder. There was no pollen or nectar coming in at the time.

Re: Bees Polishing Hive Frount

Originally Posted by MNbees

strong hive, hot weather, full sun, not much flow. give em room!

This is different. In my case I have any number of other hives that have the usual bee beards hanging at the entrance but this one hive they are spread evenly across the face of the hive and are in a constant washboard motion.

Dan www.boogerhillbee.com
Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards

Re: Bees Polishing Hive Frount

My two hives have been washboarding the last two days. One hive weak, the other strong. On the weak hive I have an empty medium on top, with a boardman feeder setup to feed at the hole in the inner cover. When I popped the top to see how much syrup they had taken during the day, they were in there washboarding on the top of the inner cover. So they're "dancing" inside and out.